Rye Harvest
Dave Mussmann, a Ruskin area farmer, finished harvesting his rye crop Saturday. He transferred rye to his grain truck. The truck would take the harvest to storage bins at his home place.
Dave Mussman smiles as he harvested his rye. The outside temperature was above the 100 degree mark but the air conditioner in his combine cab was comfortable 75 degrees.
There was cereal rye as far as the eye could see as Dave Mussmann steered his combine down the rows as he harvested the last of his crop in 100 degree weather.
Dave Mussmann transfers his newly harvested rye from the combine to his grain truck.
Mother Nature provided the heat Saturday as the tempereature hovered above the 100 degree mark. This reporter was pleased to be able to transition from his air conditioned vehicle through the convection-oven heat, climb what seemed to be a 30 feet tall ladder into the cab of an air conditioned combine. That first step took a bit of time as the woefully out of condition writer climbed up what seemed an endless series of steps.
Dave Mussman, a Ruskin area farmer and Nuckolls County commissioner, had called and asked if I had ever ridden in a combine. Without thinking, as I was preoccupied with a 90-pound lap dog attempting to share my supper, I blurted out no, but I would love to if given the opportunity. I was given the opportunity Saturday.
Mussmann gave me directions to his location and, wonder of wonders, I was able to locate him. He had ordered up the 100 plus degree weather special just for me.
After negotiating the ladder to the cab while managing not to fall off, I entered the cab of the John Deere monstrosity. It was a pleasant surprise that the jump seat was comfortable as I had visions of having to ride on the outside. The air conditioning unit was in perfect working order which was more than could be said of this reporter. Mussman had a well-stocked cooler on board though the in-flight meal was somehow left off.
Mussmann was harvesting cereal rye on the original quarter-section farm which his great-great grandfather had homesteaded.
He grows cereal rye as a cover crop. Rye has several advantages as a cover crop. It will scavenge nitrogen in the soil, reduces erosion and soil loss, add biomass and is an excellent weed supressant.
Rye is an undemanding crop. The straw, which is produced in the harvesting process, is baled. All of the straw from the current harvest has been presold.
Mussmann sells the harvested rye seed to other farmers. He stores the seed in bins at his home place. Customers contact him for seed purchases.
This reporter was impressed as Mussmann managed to bring the combine to a screeching halt with the exclamation of "It's never done that before." Well it did this time. The machine eventually burbled back to life, and harvesting recommenced.
Cereal rye is an important food crop in Europe. The European Union, Germany, Poland, Russia, Canada and the Ukraine are some of the top producers. Rye is high in carbohydrates and low in sugars. Rye and other high-fiber grains are highly recommended for health reasons.
This reporter pointed out to Mussman that his rye crop could be put to other uses than as seed for covercrops. It was suggested that Old Dave Rye whiskey was one possibilty or he could establish the Ruskin Rye Bakery.
Rye seed is also a valuable fodder for grazing animals.
The straw can be used for livestock bedding.
Mussmann was using a 30 foot Draper header to harvest the rye. He noted the same header also worked with soy beans, milo and wheat and that 50-foot models are now available. He set the header a few inches above ground level to maiximize his harvest.
The combine is a technological wonder. By setting a few controls, the machine will harvest in perfectly straight lines. A camera allows the operator to view the amount of grain in the combine hopper on a small screen. Mussmann wasn't too amused when I inquired if he watched Netflix or played video games on it. Seemed like a fair question to me.
The hopper holds 400 bushels of grain. When full capacity is reached, the operator is able to unload the grain in a couple of ways. He can return to the grain truck and unload or he can continue harvesting while unloading into a trailer or grain cart keeping pace next to the combine.
Mussman was hard pressed to iron out a charley horse in his leg as there was not a great deal of room at the bottom of the cab. At least the combine kept going.
Mussmann noted he hoped his son would farm this field next year. His son has recently returned home to help his father who is facing a serious health issue. Mussmann would like him to start off slow and gain experience as he grows. This reporter rode the combine until the field was harvested and thanked Mussman for the experience. As he drove back to Superior, the old American folk song, "Rye whiskey, rye whiskey, rye whiskey I cry...." roamed through my mind.
Maybe a new exhibit at the museum on the art of distilling in the old days?
Reader Comments(0)